The Grapevine Editorials
by anjel919
Summary: Students share their opinions on controversial topics...Dylan, Paige, Ellie, Marco, Manny, Craig and Ash, so far.
1. Random Rants

A/N: This is a series of editorials written by Degrassi students. This allows them to reveal their feelings and issues. There will be editorials by just about every student and some collaboration on some of the articles. These are to be printed in the Grapevine.

Other notes, I am posting four or five of this story line, even though I would normally never do that. I have Hurricane Frances to worry about right now so I do not know when I will be able to post again. I could lose power or just flood so bad that I can't get to my computer. No big deal, I will post when I can. I am also going to update Hockey's Hottest Star before the end of the day.

Thanks again Kate for listening to me ramble about ideas and no talent. Thanks for the support to write this.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Degrassi or its characters...etc. I do own my opinions though.

Editorial Number 1

Random Rants

By Marco Del Rossi

I am just going to get a few things off my chest. Yes, I am aware that those of you who know me are laughing. I am stronger than I appear. I am smart. I have ruined bell curves for fellow students. You know what, I don't care. I am not going to dumb myself down so some idiot can get another two points that makes him feel smarter. Bell curves don't tell real grades or intelligence, so why bother to encourage it. All of you who laugh at me now for getting good grades and studying will soon see when I have a full scholarship to the college of my choice. I am not just talking about in Canada, but in America and Europe. I will be the one receiving a Rhode scholar honor. I may even choose to apply to Oxford or Eton. Also, just because I am smart does not mean I don't know how to have fun. I go to parties, movies, and yes I even date. I hang out with friends, don't look so shocked, I do have friends. You may have even seen them with me a time or two. We share jokes, sarcastic comments, and a lot of laughs. Just because I am smart does not make me a nerd. What you see is not always what you get. People are three-dimensional beings with many facets and layers. Someone can be beautiful on the outside and empty on the inside making them unattractive. Someone who may not be attractive on the outside might have a heart of gold, which makes him or her beautiful. You would not want to be judged based on appearance alone, so don't judge someone else that way. I admit that appearance is one of the first things that attract us, but if there is nothing underneath it the relationship will never work.

I am smart, we all know that. I don't care and won't apologize for being smart; we all know that too. Just don't judge me because I am smart, instead look at the whole person. Technically, I don't need your approval or your opinions about me but I will accept them with the same intention in which they are given. I know some of you out there do not like me, not because I am smart, but because I am gay. That is okay too, I don't mind. Those of you who whisper behind my back, I consider it a compliment. You find me interesting enough to talk about and be the center of a conversation. Look at the bright side of things when you can, but do not judge people unless you want to be judged back.


	2. The Real Version Of Truth

A/N: I don't own Degrassi or its characters...etc...  
  
The Real Version of Truth

By Paige Michalchuk

Everyone has his or her own version of truth. It becomes their own when they put a spin on it to make it favorable on them. There is really only one complete truth but hardly anyone ever hears that version. I am here to tell you the real truth. Not my truth, not a bystander's truth but the real truth as it happened. I am sure by now you are confused; as well you should be but let me explain. A rival school's star athlete raped me last year. I know some of you have heard rumors about the incident, I have heard your whispers. I know some of you heard I was raped and did not believe me. That is okay though, you are about to read the whole truth about what happened that night. I hope you see this for what it is, a confession, an accusation and an honest truth.

It was after we were beat in soccer by the rival school. There was a hot soccer player that I wanted to get to know better. He invited me to a party where he was going to be attending, so I went. I broke a date with my boyfriend to go there, that was wrong of me and I apologize. I went to the party with a friend and found the guy. He gave me a drink, yes it contained alcohol. This was my second mistake, I drank it. I realize that I should have just put it down but I did not want to seem too young for him. My third mistake happened when I saw the guy I was dating enter the backyard. I immediately panicked and followed the guy inside the house. I should have never done that, it was stupid. This led to him leading me up the stairs to a bedroom. Once again, stupid but I was still a little freaked by seeing the other guy. I was naïve and did not think anything could happen to me.

This is when things get bad. He started to kiss me and that I did not mind. Kissing is something I was ready for and willing to participate. He started to stroke my thighs next to my skirt. It felt good, I am human. I shied away from him and tried to push him off. He stopped rubbing my thighs and continued to kiss me. When I started to kiss back, he took it as a go ahead sign. He started to put his hand up my skirt and once again I jerked away from him. He got up off of me and went and turned on the radio. Bad sign, I know but I did not realize it at the time. He came back over and pressed himself against me on the bed. I could not get up and was getting scared. He reached under my skirt, pulled off my panties and shoved his finger inside of me. While straddling my thighs and holding my upper body with one hand, he removed his hand from inside me and unzipped his jeans. He then pulled himself out and just laughed at the expression on my face. I was trying to fight him but he was definitely stronger than I was. I could not get away. He then casually flipped up my skirt, like he did this everyday and raped me. I said no, it was not my choice to lose my virginity in this way. He would not stop until he was finished. I remember becoming detached from myself and going numb. I stopped crying after a few minutes realizing it was not doing any good. He climaxed, laughed again as he pulled out of me, and then zipped his jeans. He waited until I had the mind to pull down my skirt before opening the door and leaving me alone in there. I pulled my underwear back on and ran out the door and down the stairs. I found my friend and pulled her to the nearest exit. I could not get out of there fast enough. I went home and took a shower until the water ran cold. I could not get clean. I felt dirty. I felt like everyone could see what happened to me and my friends would ostracize me. I did not want to go to school the next day in fear that it would show somehow. I did not want anyone to find my out about my shame. I should have just gone on the date with the safe guy and never put myself in that situation. As they say, hindsight is twenty/twenty. I was stupid and I made some mistakes. That does not mean that I deserved to be raped. No one deserves to be raped. It is a violent and brutal crime that should be stopped. Most people think of rapists as dark, lurking shadow in the bushes, but they do not have to be. They could be your son, husband, friend, boyfriend, or the star athlete. A rapist could be someone you have known your entire life.

Please, remember this even if you disregard the rest of my article. It is considered rape the moment you say no. It is your right to say no to having sex. Please, do not be afraid to stand up against a rapist if this ever happens to you. I don't care if he is a friend or not, please take a stand and stop them. It is the only way that they will know their behavior is wrong.


	3. Loneliness

A/N: I don't own anything...etc....  
  
Editorial Number 3

Loneliness

By Ellie Nash

Does anyone know what it feels like to be lonely? It's just a question, I am not really asking for a response. I am sure everyone has been lonely at one point in time. Even if you don't want to admit it, you have been. I know lonely well. We are friends now. I spend most of my time lonely. I can be surrounded by people and feel more lonely than in my house by myself. People don't seem to understand me. I see the pointing and the hushed laughter as I walk through the halls. I may not dress the way you think I should dress or act the way everyone expects me to act. That does not mean I do not know what is being said about me around school.

I know you are now asking why don't you just conform to what everyone wants? I will tell you why. It is because I would rather be liked for being the real me and not some fabricated version of who everyone thinks I should be. If being lonely is the price I have to pay for staying true to myself, then that is a risk I am willing to take. I have a few close friends that help to chase away the loneliness occasionally. For them, and you know who you are, I am thankful that you took the time to get to know me. You accept me for who I am.

I know there are others in the halls that feel lonely. I can tell by the look in your eyes. Some of you hide it rather well, but not well enough to go unnoticed by a fellow loneliness sufferer. I have been lonely for so long that I can even read through some of the best cover-ups. There are certain things that can not be masked; the eyes, the walk, bored looks, and the preoccupation with something insignificant. I have used all the tools and finally I gave up. I don't care anymore. I have been tired of being spotted by others as being lonely so now I don't mask it and everyone knows.

Remember, just because people constantly surround someone does not mean they aren't lonely. Also, just because someone is alone does not mean they are lonely. There is a fine distinction between the two that no one but the person in question can distinguish between. No one can make the loneliness feeling disappear except the person feeling it. If someone tries to explain this to you, please listen but don't judge. No one needs your judgement.

Words of wisdom:

The stone you throw must go through your glass walls before it can shatter mine. (People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.)

Also, he who is without sin shall cast the first stone.

Sorry for the biblical reference but it seemed fitting.


	4. Societal Mores and Labels

A/N: I don't own anything...etc...  
This one is for you Kate....I think you know why.  
  
Editorial Number 4

Societal Mores and Labels

By Marco Del Rossi, Dylan and Paige Michalchuk

Society is a fickle thing. We believe that there is stupidity in numbers; the larger the group, the lower the IQ. Seems a little hypocritical considering we are doing this editorial as a group but this is three opinions on the same point. Society tries to label us and fit us into the nice, neat categories. These categories have been predetermined, we aren't sure by whom but they have survived centuries. We are human beings with multiple facets of personality. These things make us who we are and who we could become in the future. I do not know anyone who can fit into just one category.

I, Marco, for example am a complex person. I play soccer, but am not into other sports. I write poetry but am not a literary snob. I am gay and smart but that does not make me a wimp. I am extremely loyal to my family and friends, but that does not mean I won't stand behind something morally wrong. I believe in my friends but I won't support them through a crime. See I fit into many boxes at once.

I am the same way. I am Dylan. I play hockey, football and soccer, so yes I like sports but am not a dumb jock. I get good grades and care about my appearance but I am not a fashion snob. I am also gay but you won't find too many people commenting on it. I am an excellent big brother and son but I do make mistakes. I also can not fit into one nice, neat category.

We saved the best for last, it is I, Paige. I am a cheerleader but not as vapid as some. I am fashionable and stylish but I do think of other things. I am a perfect sister and daughter but I too make mistakes. I am a great girlfriend but I am also happy to be by myself. I love people but like my alone time. I too can not fit into one box. Not that I would really want to fit in a box.

This was just between three of us, and we can't fit into one box. I am sure that you can't pick just one label either. Society needs to realize the restrictions they place upon the youth today are causing problems. These problems include same sex relationships being closeted in fear, rapes not being reported because no one believes them, and even cutting has become an issue. Some teens are so afraid to break out of their nice, neat existence to live their lives. They have gotten used to living up to a role that was forced upon him or her at birth, that they do not know what they want for themselves. We are breaking out now. No more pretty box with the shiny ribbon tied tight. I don't want the ribbon or the box anymore and I certainly don't want the label. I just want to be me.

So, students, stand up and break away from stereotypes and labels. I believe how can society expect me to soar if my potential if I am trapped in a box. Why should I try and reach my full potential, when my potential was predetermined. I would rather make my own mistakes and create my own "labels" because then I can change them at will. I am a person, not an object that can be expected to be labeled, shelved, and expected to never grow, change or develop.

Honestly, where would literature and art be if everyone stayed in his or her preconceived notion of self. Walt Whitman wrote poems about same sex relationships, granted he was fired from his teaching job because of them, but he is still considered one of the greatest poets of all time. He is still widely read and translated across the globe. Shakespeare had some male lovers, so did Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and Michaelangelo. These are still considered some of the greatest artisans of our lives. Salvadore Dali was considered a genius in spite of the fact he painted religious figures in compromising positions. He was dropping acid at the time and was having these hallucinations. Lewis Carroll was dropping acid when he wrote Alice in Wonderland. Still considered a children's literary classic. I wonder how these society parents would feel knowing this little bit of information. The Marquis De Sade was writing explicitly about his sexual encounters with both men and women from an insane asylum cell. See all these great people broke out of their boxes and became famous.

These are just a few examples of the greatness of non-conformist potential. They all left the familiar territory of their labels and did what they wanted. They discovered great things about themselves in the meantime and shared it with us through their art. Just imagine what we could do in the new millennium if we discovered our potentials on our own. We could be great.


	5. Lyrics for my next song

A/N: I don't own Degrassi or the characters...however the poem is mine.  
  
Editorial Number 5

Lyrics for My Next Song

By Ashley Kerwin

I was told that I should put this in the editorial column. I was told that since I wrote this about someone, they should actually see it. Here goes nothing....

Hello again. I was wondering what you'd say  
If I happened to say that to you...  
If I would call.  
Don't worry, I won't ask  
I know what you'd say  
I was wondering,  
Do you think of me ever?  
Do you ever want to talk to me?  
Do you know when I think of you,  
It hurts so much that I pinch myself hard  
To know the tears are from the pinch and not you.  
So everyone knows I only like you as a friend  
Admitting it to them that I still care  
Would mean admitting it to myself  
And that would hurt like hell.  
If you saw me now,  
You'd know the only time I admit it  
Is in the dark.  
Do you know how much I hate sad songs?  
Now when I think of you,  
I have to listen to a sad song  
So I can make sure the tears I cry  
Are for the broken-hearted people in the song.  
I tell myself those people aren't you and I  
Even though we have the same names.  
I have to listen to sad songs in the dark,  
To know if you are there you can't see me cry.  
I know we were once in love.  
I could see myself in your eyes.  
Now I can't look in your eyes  
Because I am afraid of what I'll see.  
I never thought we'd end up like this,  
I never thought you'd hurt me so much.  
I guess I forgot to ask you  
Not to break my heart.  
I sometimes think of how things were between us before,  
I feel happy that we can be friends like that.  
Then I remember all the nights, every word,  
All our thoughts, your warm smile,  
How I could feel so good when you were by me.  
There are infinite times, far more good things  
Than I could ever write about.  
Then, of course, I am shockingly brought into the present,  
And my smile is brutally torn from my lips,  
As my heart is shattered once more.  
I try to look to the future, as I am told,  
Even I can't see in the dark.  
I struggle in vain to take the sunglasses off my face,  
Then I realize that I'm not wearing any.  
I'm trying to be your friend,  
But when I see your name my heart sinks  
To the very depths of my soul, so far  
That I am sure I can never retrieve it;  
And somehow it always manages to keep dropping farther  
I am bombarded with questions from which the answers  
Is as much a mystery as the flourish from which it came.  
I don't know why it has to be this bad.  
We went from friends to lovers just like a love song.  
I can hear the old songs about us  
Only the names aren't ours and  
I don't know the people in the song.  
In the black songs now I must cry.  
For I hear my name repeatedly whispered.  
For the love songs with new names,  
My heart sighs in pain.  
So I was wondering, what are you doing now?  
Who do you think of?  
Are you really happy now?  
I was just wondering,  
What about me?  
Do you know how much you mean to me?  
I was just wondering,  
If you could tell me why did this have to start  
And why does it have to end?  
Today I heard you say twice,  
"I'm happy." And I hope you are.  
I didn't want to start out to like you.  
Now I desperately need you.  
Sometime if I am laying still in the dark  
And I whisper your name, the pain recedes  
For a moment so I can dry my eyes.  
I dread tomorrow, knowing I'll see you.  
I get to smile superficially all day.  
I'll dread the times when I get too close to you.  
You know so much about me,  
More than I want you to know.  
I still care even though it is over now.  
Now that I don't really need it to be.  
Now that I need you the most, fast is not for now.  
You will last longer that I want  
And I will always miss you  
I am not ready to let go.  
I love you!  
  
Please Review....  



	6. The Right To Choose

A/N: I don't own anything...etc...  
  
The Right to Choose  
By Manny Santos

The right to choose whether or not to have an abortion may be taken away from us. I am not sure if it is a good decision or not. I have had to face the decision myself. It is not an easy decision and not one to be taken lightly. It took me a long time and many sleepless hours to come to the decision I made. I would never wish that process on even my worst enemies.

Many things traveled through my mind while decided whether or not to have the abortion. Would my friends look at me with scorn? Would I actually be able to live with myself after the fact? Would it hurt? Emotionally? Physically? How would this affect my religious beliefs? How would my family feel? How do I go about telling the father? The questions just kept coming...the answers still have not surfaced. I had to make this decision on instinct alone.

This is not a choice that can be made for you. This is as personal as anything can get. I got advice from a friend who had to make the same decision once. She chose not to have the abortion. I was leaning towards the choice to have the abortion. I say leaning towards it because I never got the chance to make the choice. I miscarried before the final decision could be actually made.

This is the first time I have admitted to the fact. You assumed that I had the abortion and I never confirmed nor denied it. Now you know the truth. It was not anything I did to get rid of the baby, it just happened on its own. I agonized over the decision for days. I worried, fretted, and agonized over ever part of this decision. I ran the questions over and over in my mind, still never coming with answers, only more questions. Then the fateful day happened.

The day I miscarried. It was a Saturday morning and I felt a small pain in my stomach. I did not know what was wrong. I thought I might have eaten something wrong the night before. I went into the bathroom and saw that I had started to bleed a little. I called the friend I mentioned earlier and she took me to the hospital. The doctor called it spotting and said it can sometimes happen in early stages of pregnancy. She kept me in the hospital for a few hours and then sent me home. My friend would not let me go back to an empty house so she let me come home with her. I seemed to be okay for a little while.

Later that night, I started having harder pains in my stomach. I got sick and started to run a fever. My friend was very concerned about what this could have possible meant. When I started bleeding even harder than this morning, she took me back to the hospital. The doctor examined me. She had a look on her face that I did not want to interpret but I could tell it was not good news. She told me I was beginning to miscarry.

I was confused at first, then she explained that this happens to even the healthiest women. There may be something wrong with the baby that my body rejected it. It could have been that I was not ready for a baby and my body knew it so it decided for me. She said I did nothing wrong and not to blame myself for it. It hurt a lot to miscarry both physically and emotionally. I was in pain physically for weeks. My entire body was tender and I wanted to sleep for days. I was drained and wanted a dark room. Emotionally, I may never heal completely again. I know I was thinking of aborting the baby anyway but losing the baby without a choice hurt too.

I feel horrible because at first I was relieved that I did not have to make the choice and I did not have to have the baby. I could not believe that I felt like that. How could I feel relieved about a baby dying? Then the hurt set in, it was late one night about two weeks later. I had been agonizing over the relief I felt and it finally hit me. I did miss the baby. I missed being pregnant. I missed out on a life that had yet to exist. I had to tell the father what had happened. I could not face that yet. He was told the next morning after I started to feel the emotional ramifications of the incident.

He was upset and yet oddly relieved as well. I know we are too young to have a family and I know we aren't in love. It was a passing fancy, a lust acted upon when it should not have been. We sat in silence after I delivered the shocking blow for about an hour. He said he was sorry that it happened that way. I said it wasn't his fault and there was no need to be sorry. We knew I was going to end it anyway, nature took the course for us. It was the easy way out for the both of us. It was easier because there would be no guilt on either of our parts. We hope to remain friends but I don't see how that will work. There are just too many memories between us.

I will remember being pregnant. I will remember trying to decide about having an abortion. I will remember the pain. I will remember telling the father what happened and his expression. I will always remember the way I felt when people found out and started treating me different. I will also remember the whispers, laughs and rumors floating around school after everyone thought I had an abortion. I guess now you know the truth. I did not decide to end it, it was decided for me.


	7. My Secret

A/N: I don't own anything except this poem...  
  
My Secret

By Craig Manning

I think this is self-explanatory. The one who this is written for, you know who you are. I know who you are. That is all that matters.

I love you so much  
Can't you see  
Our relationship  
Is truly hurting me?  
  
But you don't understand  
I can't go on  
I've been wanting to tell you  
For so very long  
  
We can't go on  
You and I  
It just won't work  
Believe me I've tried.  
  
For you to understand  
Is simply too much  
I wouldn't ask  
That you do just such  
  
I don't want any commitments  
I wanna be one  
I guess I'm not ready to be serious  
I just wanna have fun  
  
But remember this  
We can still be friends  
I want you to know  
It all doesn't have to end  
  
So you see my dear  
I think a lot of you  
I know our new friendship  
Will always be true.  
  
I won't say goodbye  
Cause that's not what it is  
And don't hate me for saying this  
But that's just the way it is.  
  
I want to be friends  
Maybe go out sometime  
But right now I'm confused  
And need my own time...

To straighten out my own life.


	8. A Request To Graduating Seniors

A Request to Graduating Seniors

By: Marco Del Rossi

I was surfing the internet the other day and received this in my email. I had a friend send it to me and I'm extremely thankful. I wanted to share it with all of you graduates and undergrads who will be partying in the next few months.

It was written by someone who shall remain nameless because I don't know.

The Quietest Room in Town

They have been waiting for you. They knew you'd show up eventually. It won't be possible for you to know what is happening, so I'm going to take the liberty of filling you in.

The beginning for you will be when you stagger to your car. The beginning for them will be when a bulletin goes out on the police radio reporting the location of a serious accident with instructions to "proceed at once."

You won't hear the sirens. The ambulance and the police arrive together. They will check you over and pronounce you dead. A few curious motorists who heard the crash will stop their cars and walk back to look at your broken, bloody bones. Some of them will get sick.

The ambulance driver will roll out a leather covered stretcher. The attendant will stuff your hands under your belt and grab you under the arms. The driver will take hold of your legs. You will be placed on a stretcher and covered with a blanket.

They will drive you to the coroner's office where a deputy coroner will wheel you over to a big scale. He will remove the blanket, shake his head and say, "Another one."

Your clothes will be cut off with scissors. You will be placed on a scale and measured. The deputy coroner will make a record of your injuries, cover you up again and wheel you to a small room with white tile walls. There are hoses in that room. Traffic victims are almost always a bloody mess.

You will be cleaned up (as much as possible) and moved to a long hall with several stretchers lined up along its pale green walls. In that hall are forty-one crypts. If it's a slow evening, you'll have a stretcher and a crypt to yourself. But if it's Christmas, New Year's, or Memorial Day weekend, you may have lots of company. They'll go away and leave you alone in the quietest room in town.

In an hour or so, they'll come back and move you again. You will be placed behind a large glass window so your wife or husband or parents or partner or friend or sibling can identify you. You won't see the agony and pain in their eyes and it's just as well. Nor will you hear the screams and sobbing when they lower the sheet and ask, "Is this your husband-wife-son-daughter-brother-sister-or friend?"

As I was saying; they're waiting for you-the police, the ambulance crews, the coroners at the morgue, and the morticians. They're expecting you. Remember this tonight, when you toss down that last drink and climb behind the wheel.

Then ask yourself, "Do you want to go to the quietest room in town?"

--------------------------------------

I'm not telling you not to drink because it would be a waste of my time writing it and yours reading it. I know some of you will be drinking, just be smart about it. Have a designated driver or stay wherever you are after you take that first drink.

This may never happen to you even if you drink and drive but imagine for one second how you would feel if you managed to send some innocent victim to the quietest room in town because you got behind the wheel.

You aren't only endangering your life when you drive under the influence but you're also endangering anyone you could possibly come across...the three-year-old playing on her front lawn, the mailman, the hospice worker or even a clergyman.

Once again, I'm not trying to preach to you about not drinking or doing drugs...although, I prefer sobriety myself. I just want you to make smart choices if you are going to be under the influence of anything inhibiting.


End file.
